


Mixed Media and Negative Space

by roryteller



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Artists, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Pansexual Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-24 01:59:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6137383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roryteller/pseuds/roryteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Kara, a young up-and-coming artist, becomes Supergirl, she meets Cat Grant and her son at a gallery opening. Kara is immediately attracted to Cat, but can't make heads or tails of her dual capacity for kindness and ruthlessness. She'll have to figure it out soon, though, because Carter takes a liking to her, and as a result the two women are drawn together... in and out of costume.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I never expected this to be this long, but it's going to be at least four chapters! The rating will probably go up (to M, most likely) in the last chapter or two but is accurate for now.

"I thought I could make a difference, but sometimes I don't think any of this matters." Kara's gesture encompassed the entirety of her cluttered studio, from the table with her sketchbooks, pencils, and paints to the glass and metal sculptures on the far end. She had some glassblowing and metalworking equipment too, for the things she couldn't manage with heat vision and ice breath alone. "Sometimes I feel like I should be doing more."

"Well, I, for one, think that your art is amazing." It wasn't an empty compliment, either—a few of Kara's sketches occupied a place of honor in Alex's apartment, and she owned a glass pendant Kara had made, though she didn't wear it for business trips, like the one she was about to leave on. "I hope you're going to clean yourself up before your date tonight."

Kara made a face. "Of course I will." She'd been sketching out a new idea, and her hands were covered with smudges. "Now, should I wear the blue top, or the coral?" She showed Alex photos of them on her phone.

"Blue," said Alex without hesitating. "It's your color. Now, I've gotta run but I'll see you soon."

 

* * *

 

The date was a bust, the guy self-absorbed and uninteresting, but after he left she saw a news report about a plane having trouble, and knew that she had to go.

 

* * *

 

Less than an hour later, she was sitting on her couch watching the rescue on the news. _Maybe I should text my cousin,_ she thought. _Ask him where he got his costume._

 

* * *

 

"Are you the artist?" A woman, perhaps in her forties, with curly blonde hair, strode into the gallery during the gallery opening, followed by a boy with tousled reddish hair, looking as if she were too important to be there.

Kara waved goodbye to a bored-looking couple and closed the gap between them, feeling suddenly unfashionable and just a little intimidated. "I am. My name is Kara Danvers." She held out her hand, but the woman didn't take it.

"Cat Grant."

"Oh, the one who named Supergirl! I thought Superwoman would have been better myself, but-"

"I don't really care what you think about the name. Just tell me about your art."

_Fine._ "I call this one the Dying Planet," said Kara, gesturing at a sculpture of spiraling metal, topped with crystal. It was inspired by the architecture of her hometown, Argo City, and the crystal structures her uncle, Jor-El had grown, but she had melted parts of it, as though it were being consumed by the lava Krypton had ejected as it destroyed itself. She tried to use her powers in the making of each piece of art, especially those that represented Krypton.

"It doesn't look like a planet. Unless you were inspired by the Daily Planet?" Cat drummed her fingers on her arm, considering.

Kara could see the resemblance—a tall, narrow structure with the spikes of crystal at the top where the Daily Planet's globe would have been—and perhaps there was some influence, since her cousin worked there, but... "No, it's based on something I saw in a dream." Which was true, more or less—she often dreamed of the destruction of Krypton.

"A dream?" Cat looked the structure up and down again. "Well, whatever it's based on, I'll take it."

"That's great! The show runs until the end of the month, but I'll get the head of the gallery for you."

While Cat Grant and the gallery director talked about prices, Kara turned to the boy. "Hi there. What's your name?"

He didn't answer for a moment—his attention was focused on a smaller piece, a metal animal figure. It would look abstract to human viewers, but it was loosely based on a predator from Krypton. At last, when she didn't press him, he looked up at her.

"I guess you like Supergirl, too."

She nodded. "I'm really glad we have a female superhero. You're a fan?"

Suddenly he opened up, and couldn't stop talking about how brave and strong and cool Supergirl was. She smiled at him, his simple joy easing the sting of Alex's initial disapproval. When at last he paused for breath, she said, "I never did catch your name."

He looked down, as if embarrassed or shy. "It's Carter. Carter Grant."

"Ah. Is Miss Grant your mother?"

He nodded. "I thought it would be really boring here, but it's okay."

"Glad you think so. Hey, want to see something cool?"

He hesitated, then said, "Okay."

She reached into her purse and pulled out a roll of wire. "I always have something I can work on with me," she said. "Sometimes I need to keep my hands busy. It helps when things are overwhelming."

He nodded as if he understood, and she carefully bent the end of the wire into a replica of the Crest of El, leaving a little loop at the top to hang it from. Then she twisted the wire sharply, so that it snapped, and handed it the crest to Carter.

"For Supergirl's number 1 fan." _How much would he freak if he knew I was Supergirl?_

He turned it over in his hands. "Awesome! Thank you, Kara! Or should I call you Ms. Danvers?"

"Kara is fine." She smiled. "You can put it on a cord and make it into a necklace, or use it as a keychain, if you'd rather."

Kara heard steps behind her and turned. It was Cat, looking at her son with a smile that transformed her whole face. _She's beautiful,_ thought Kara with a start.

"Hey, Mom, look what Kara made me!"

Cat took the pendant, and looked from it to Carter. "Oh, it's the symbol Supergirl wears on that ridiculous outfit of hers."

_Ridiculous?_

"Isn't it great?"

"It is." And just for a moment, she turned her smile on Kara, who found herself smiling back, grinning like an idiot, just glad to have made someone happy and that this disconcerting, beautiful woman was smiling at _her_.

 

* * *

 

The person in line in front of Kara at Noonan's was a young, preppily dressed, exceedingly nervous-looking man. He ordered a latte, extra hot, and a black coffee, which he immediately began to gulp down as he waited for the latte.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, seemed to think the better of it, and shook his head. "I'm Cat Grant's assistant," he said, as if that ought to explain everything.

Kara raised her eyebrows at him.

"Well, I don't know if you've heard," said the guy, lowering his voice, "but she's kind of a bitch."

"Should you really be saying that kind of thing about your boss?" asked Kara, suddenly filled with an urge to defend this woman she barely knew. "And I met her the other day. She doesn't seem that bad."

The guy gave her a skeptical look. "You obviously don't know her all that well. Everyone's terrified of her."

The latte arrived and he took off with it without so much as a goodbye.

 

* * *

 

Kara was halfway back to her studio when her phone buzzed. It was a text from her cousin. She took a sip of her pumpkin latte before checking it.

Clark: Hey Kara. My friend Jimmy Olsen works for Catco now, I don't know if I told you.  
Kara: You didn't.  
Clark: Well, his boss has been pressuring him to get an interview with you.  
Kara: With Cat Grant herself? Is that a good idea?  
Clark: Probably not. I knew her a little when she worked at the Planet, she's sharp and can be kind of ruthless.  
Kara: I dunno, she seems nice enough.  
Clark: You've met??  
Kara: Only once, and not in costume. She bought some of my art.  
Clark: Huh. Well, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. Jimmy can handle things with her.  
Kara: Okay, I'll think about it.

 

* * *

 

When she got back to the studio, she had a message in her email from James Olsen, of all people. Apparently he was doing a piece on newcomers to the National City art scene and wanted to pay her a visit. After her conversation with Clark, Kara was suspicious, but she replied anyway, asking when he wanted to come by, and they arranged a meeting for the next day.

In the end, it was Kara's desire to see Cat again that decided her. But the Cat Grant who interviewed her was the sharp, relentless reporter that Clark had warned her about, not the woman whose smile had done funny things to Kara's stomach, and Kara found herself stumbling over her words, deviating from the speech she had rehearsed. Blabbing about her cousin.

When it was over, she headed straight home and collapsed on her couch with a pint of ice cream and the distinct feeling of having underestimated Cat Grant.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara meets James when he's working on an article, then after she defeats Livewire, Cat Grant asks to meet her... but not as Supergirl, rather as Kara, the artist. Is Cat onto her secret?

"Hi, I'm James Olsen."

"Kara Danvers." Kara took his hand and shook it. His grip was firm, and he was somehow different than she had expected- taller? More solid, muscular? More attractive? "I loved your Superman photo. The first one, I mean."

He grinned. It just made him more handsome. "Did you know he actually posed for that?"

She shook her head. "What's he like?"

"Everything you want him to be and more. Has anyone ever told you you look a little like him, around the eyes?"

She shook her head. Did he know?

"So, is this your studio? Mind if I take a few shots?"

"Uh, yes. I mean, there's a few things you can photograph, but..." she had to set her suspicions to rest first. "Why me? I mean, you said you were doing a piece on up-and-coming artists but..."

"Actually, I had a tip. You come highly recommended."

"By?"

"My friend Clark, actually. Works at the Daily Planet."

_Oh. He knows. He has to know._ But she pressed on, just in case. "Here I thought it might be Cat Grant."

He frowned. "What does she have to do with it?"

"She came to my gallery opening the other day. Bought a piece, actually."

"Ah, sorry I missed it. I was still in Metropolis." He mulled it for a moment. "Maybe she'll be glad to have me highlight your work, then."

"Maybe. She seems intimidating." That was oversimplifying Kara's feelings, but she wasn't about to really get into them with a total stranger, not even one who knew her secret identity.

"Well, why don't you just show me around your studio?"

* * *

 

On Thanksgiving, the silence in Kara's apartment was stifling after Alex left. Kara fidgeted, watched as Eliza pretended to be busy in the kitchen. After a while she broke the silence.

"If you have to be mad at someone, be mad at me."

"What?"

"Get mad at me," insisted Kara. "Alex told me not to do it. She yelled at me for _saving her life_ , Eliza. Do you have any idea how much that hurt? That's why I was glad when James already knew who I was. He was happy for me, at least." Kara took a shaky breath. "She tried, more than once, to convince me not to be Supergirl. She's been convincing me for years. She did a great job protecting me, even though I didn't know I needed protecting. So if you need to yell, yell at me for not listening to her."

Eliza didn't respond immediately, but she did turn to look at Kara.

"I don't understand why you're so hard on her all the time, but so easy on me. That's not fair." Kara knew it sounded childish, but it was also true—it wasn't fair to either of them.

When Eliza just looked at her with pained eyes, she shook her head. "I'm going out. Call me if you need anything."

"Kara-"

But Kara was already halfway out the window, not the door, having changed into her supersuit, a mess of hurt and anger on Alex's behalf roiling in her belly.

She flew slowly, lazily, in the foul weather, and maybe she was thinking about Cat Grant, who could be so difficult, so frightening, but was so kind to her son, who had written that awful article about Supergirl but who was so beautiful when she smiled, because she found herself flying by the Catco building.

And it was lucky too, because as she passed she saw a flash in the windows, something that looked like lightning, and heard the cruel voice of that shock-jock, Leslie something, who had called Supergirl a lesbian (which wasn't strictly true... Kara preferred Kryptonian terms to human for such things, but if she had to pick a human term, it would have been pan).

Pushing aside such thoughts, she burst through the window just in time to block a blast of lightning aimed at Cat.

"Run!" she yelled.

Cat ran, and when Kara saved her in the elevator she smiled in such relief and joy that a warmth suffused Kara and she couldn't help but smile back.

She watched Cat as the DEO went over the place with a fine-toothed comb, noting her relief at her assistant's safety (Kara's opinion of her went up a notch or three when she realized Cat had sent the woman—a new assistant, apparently—away before worrying about herself), her mounting annoyance at the inconvenience and mess, and her snark, which at least wasn't directed at Kara this time.

* * *

 

The next day, James' piece on her art came out in the Tribune, and she bought a paper, for once, in order to read it. There was a nice photo of her—he hadn't made her look glamorous, but she looked lively, even pretty, in spite of her overly goofy smile. The pictures of her art were just as good, and the text was more about her artistic inspirations than a sob story about her childhood, which was fine by her.

Then she got a call from the DEO—they'd figured out a way to stop Livewire.

* * *

 

Kara, in her Supergirl outfit, stood behind Cat as she invited Livewire to meet her over the radio.

"You know, I can't figure you out," said Kara. "One minute you're cruel and the next kind."

Cat's lips quirked at that. "You're the one who won't tell anyone your real name."

"Touché. But you... your employees are terrified of you, from what I hear, but you seem to feel bad about Livewire, and you made sure your assistant was safe first, before trying to escape yourself. You wrote that scathing piece about me, but when we actually meet... I don't get the feeling you dislike me." It was more than that... if Kara had to put a word to what she saw in Cat's eyes when she looked at Supergirl, she might have said 'admiration' or 'wonder'. Maybe even 'trust'. But she worked in images, not words, and she itched to put something of what she saw in this strange woman into art. Perhaps then she would understand.

"Well, you did save my life yesterday, and I can't say I'm not grateful." Cat's eyes narrowed. "But you need someone to push you. National City needs the best hero it can get, but at first you did more harm than good. As a woman, especially, people are going to pounce on any mistake."

Kara winced, remembering the oil spill. "I already have my... I already have someone who does that." She was thinking of Alex, of course—Alex, who had made her realize that she wasn't invincible, who had taught her to be strong, who, most of all, had taught her how to keep going when she had lost everything. But she couldn't tell Cat Grant any of that.

"And how do you know that my employees are scared of me? Some of them are, I won't deny it, but... you don't happen to work at Catco, do you?" Cat said it as though it were unimportant, but Kara was sure she really wanted to know.

Kara laughed. It was easy to deny, because it wasn't true. "No, I do not."

"Hmm. I get the feeling we have met somewhere before, though. When you weren't in costume." Cat's eyes were sharp, glinting with intelligence, and Kara was reminded of how intimidating she'd found her when they first met, at the art gallery.

"I don't think so," said Kara, trying to sound confident. "More importantly, we have a rendezvous with Livewire."

Cat nodded, and the moment passed, but Kara didn't believe for a minute that Cat would give up that easily. For all that she didn't fully understand the contrast between Cat's prickliness and her better side, she knew that no one could work their way up from a gossip columnist to the head of a major corporation without considerable drive.

* * *

 

Kara was proven correct the following week when James called her.

"Hey James, what's up?"

"For some reason, Cat Grant wants to talk to you."

"She wants another interview?"

"No, apparently she remembers the bit I did about your art and she wants you to see the piece she bought in her office, once the movers get it set up. It seems kind of odd, to tell you the truth. Do you think she might have recognized you?"

"I don't think so... but I'm not sure. Maybe it's because I hit it off with her son."

"With Carter? That's right, she wanted you to come by in the late afternoon... maybe he'll be there?" James sounded relieved.

"Maybe I'll come. He's a good kid."

"He is, but you don't have to. I mean, at least she's not threatening my job this time."

"She threatened to fire you to get that interview? Clark didn't tell me." Kara was horrified.

"He probably didn't want you to feel pressured to do it. But don't worry about it, I'm fine. No need to put your secrets on the line for me."

"Maybe I should give her a piece of my mind the next time I see her... as Supergirl, that is. I don't think she'd listen to Kara Danvers telling her how to run her business."

He laughed. "I'm not sure that would help. So, can I tell her you're coming? She said 4 PM."

Kara took a look at her calendar. "Sure, I guess." She scribbled in a note on the relevant day: '4 PM, art at Catco'.

"Great. If you want, you can visit me while you're here—my office is on the same floor as hers."

"I'll be looking forward to it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara goes to Catco worried that Cat will discover her secret, but never expecting that she'll stumble onto one of Cat's own...

The day of her appointment with Cat Grant, Kara dressed up—a blue cardigan and slacks with her nicest shoes and a white blouse—because she didn't want to feel under-dressed in the office. And maybe, just a little, for Cat, though Kara doubted anything in her wardrobe would impress someone like Cat, who has all the money in the world to spend on clothes, if she wanted.

When she arrived, the receptionist called up to see if she really had an appointment, then lead Kara to what she said was the public elevator ('no one uses Miss Grant's private elevator') with directions to Cat Grant's office.

Not that it was hard to find, once she got to the correct floor—the whole place seemed designed to draw one's eyes to the large, glass-walled office.

And, of course, she'd been there before, though only briefly.

James appeared as she stepped off the elevator, his movements sharp with nervous energy. He seemed calmer than she was, but less self-possessed than he had at her studio. "Hey, Kara. Good to see you again. The delivery guys are running late, so Miss Grant is a bit irritable. And Carter's not here yet, either. If he's even coming."

Kara looked around. There was Cat, and she did, indeed, look irritated, glaring at the papers on her desk as though they might be planning something sinister. The assistant was the same one from the night of the Livewire attack—a young Latina with brightly painted nails. That was probably a good sign, though at the moment she looked rather dejected, perhaps as a result of her boss' mood. A glance around the floor confirmed that just about everyone looked either worried or unhappy. _What have I gotten myself into?_

"Well, here goes nothing. Wish me luck." Kara's palms were sweating, and she wiped them on her pants.

"Good luck," said James with that easy smile of his.

Kara smiled back, glad to have his support. "Thanks. I might need it." She turned and strode into Cat's office, exactly on time, according to her watch. "Miss Grant, you wanted to see me?"

Cat Grant glared at her for a moment, then her expression softened, just a bit, when she saw who it was. She still looked stern, but not angry. "Ah, yes, Kiera Danvers."

"That's Kara, Miss Grant."

Cat ignored her remark. " _You're_ on time, at least. I don't know what's taking so long. Their delivery window ended a _full_ hour ago." She sighed. "Well, as long as you're here, I did have a few things to talk about. Shall I have my assistant fetch you something to drink? Coffee or tea, perhaps?"

Kara glanced back at the assistant in question, who was hunched over her desk, making notes on something. "I... wouldn't want to impose..." She spotted a jug of water on a low table, accompanied by some glasses. "I'll just get myself some water."

"Suit yourself." As Kara poured herself a glass, Cat threw open the doors to her balcony. "Have a look at this view."

"It's lovely," said Kara, joining Cat on the balcony, glass in hand, though privately she preferred the city as she saw it as she flew over it at night. _I should really paint that sometime._

"You know, the other day I met someone who reminded me of you," said Cat, taking a step closer and staring into Kara's eyes.

Kara choked on her water. She was acutely conscious not only of Cat's watchful gaze but of her closeness, the negative space charged with an energy she couldn't quite name. Or perhaps she didn't want to—it would make it too real. She took a step back and coughed.

"Of me?" she asked when she finally stopped coughing. It came out a bit squeaky. _Coming here was definitely a bad idea._

"You don't happen to have a sister, by any chance?" Cat tilted her head.

"I do, actually, but most people don't think we look much alike." This was slightly safer territory, if only just.

"Hmm, then it can't have been her. Take off your glasses."

She said it in such a commanding tone that Kara's hand was halfway to her face before she remembered that she didn't have to do anything Cat Grant said, that she could walk out of there at any time. She covered her movement by shifting her water glass, now empty, to that hand, and shook her head.

"No. I'd be blind without them."

"Oh, I doubt that."

Was Cat smirking? _Like the cat that got the cream,_ thought Kara. _Or maybe the cat among the pigeons. And I'm the pigeon. Oh dear._

Kara heard the DING of the elevator and poked her head back inside the building, hoping it was the delivery—she could use the distraction. Sure enough, it was two men in courier company uniforms carrying a long, bubble-wrapped shape, straining as though it were quite heavy. Kara could have brought it over herself, of course, but she wasn't in that much of a hurry to reveal her secret identity.

"Miss Grant, it looks like your statue has arrived."

"Finally." Cat swept past Kara into her office, and began to give orders to the two men. She had them set it up near her desk, away from the window. They slowly uncovered the top of the statue, then lifted it to unwrap the bottom. Kara set down her glass on the coffee table and stood nearby, nervously watching them manhandle her creation.

Then one of them lost his grip. It slipped towards the floor, and Kara reflexively grabbed on, stopping its fall. She held nearly all of its weight for a moment, until the two men could take over again. Then she eased it back into their hands.

Once it was finally set up, one of the men shot her a curious glance. "You're stronger than you look."

"Well, I work out," she said, and made a muscle for emphasis.

When the workers had left, Cat shot Kara a triumphant look. "Looks like you don't need to take off your glasses after all. Supergirl."

"Miss Grant, I-"

Cat dismissed her protest with a wave of one hand. "Save it. You're not a good enough liar to worm your way out of this one."

Kara opened her mouth to say something, but Cat shushed her with a gesture.

"I said save it. Now, I could reveal what I know to the world... probably double the Tribune's sales in the process... but I don't think you would like that."

_Is she going to blackmail me?_ Kara took a step back, and automatically glanced towards the balcony, wishing she could afford to simply fly away. _I really, really shouldn't have come. Maybe the DEO has something that can fix this._

"At one point in my career I would probably have released the information immediately. But there would be risks in that for you, I imagine." Cat was pacing, visibly weighing her options.

Kara nodded. "My friends, my family... they'd be in danger." Her voice cracked as she spoke. She didn't want to beg, but she would if she had to.

Cat nodded. "And that's why I won't do it. Of course, I'm hoping to continue cultivating a relationship with Supergirl, but I won't make that a condition of my silence." She said it in a way that implied that Supergirl would be ungrateful not to take her up on it, however.

"A... relationship?" Kara blushed, remembering her initial reaction to Cat, which seemed like years ago.

"Between Supergirl and Catco, of course. But your reaction is interesting. I'll have to remember that." Cat looked like she was on the edge of laughter. "You don't have to come see me out of costume again, either. Unless you want to?"

"Uh..." Kara was caught between relief, alarm, and... temptation?

"Mom! And... Kara?" It was Carter, lugging a full backpack, escorted by Cat's assistant.

"Hi Carter," said Cat. "Thank you for picking up Carter, Angelina."

"Angelica," said the assistant, and Kara shot her a sympathetic look.

"You may go now," said Cat.

Angelica obeyed, closing the door softly behind her.

"Hey kiddo," said Kara. "What's up?"

"Not much. Oh! I put the pendant you made me on my backpack." He turned so Kara could see it. It was attached to one of the zipper pulls.

"Cool! I always like it when people use the things I make." Kara felt herself relaxing in Carter's presence, and a glance at Cat told her that she felt the same. He was a good kid, and Cat clearly doted on him. More than that, around him things seemed safer. Cat wouldn't do anything alarming, like threaten her... or hit on her... in his presence.

"So, why are you here? Did Mom invite you?" He looked a lot like Cat in that moment... he had the same curiosity in his eyes, though he lacked her daring and her presence.

Kara nodded. "Yeah, the statue she bought just arrived." She pointed.

"I like the pendant you made for me better," said Carter. "But it's okay too, I guess."

Kara ruffled his hair, which earned her a glare from Carter. She pulled her hand away. "Sorry, I won't do that again unless you say it's okay."

"How was school?" asked Cat.

"It was fine," said Carter, in the bored tone kids use when it was anything but fine but they don't want to talk about it.

Kara knew that tone well... she and Alex had had many such days, especially when she had first arrived and still spoke English with a Kryptonese accent (no one had known what sort of accent it was, but that hadn't stopped them from teasing her). She'd enjoyed her classes, but not always the other kids. She exchanged a look with Cat, who shook her head minutely.

"Do you have any homework?" asked Cat.

Carter nodded. "I'll start it soon, I promise, but can I talk to Kara a bit first?"

Cat nodded. "I'm sure she has to get going soon, but if she has the time, it's fine with me."

Carter sat down at the coffee table and opened his backpack. "I'm not as good of an artist as you are, but I made this in art class." He pulled out a clay version of the Crest of El, about the size of the palm of his hand, and gave it to Kara.

"Hey, nice!" She turned it over in her hand. The pale gray clay was smooth and cool.

"If you want, you can have it. For Supergirl's number 2 fan." He grinned.

It was hard for Kara to keep a straight face at that, especially after the conversation she had just had with Cat, but she managed it somehow. "Thanks, I'll treasure it." She retrieved a piece of the packing materials from her statue and wrapped it up, then put it in her purse.

"Hey, so, if you and Mom are friends now, can you maybe... have lunch with us sometime, or something?"

"Friends? I think it's a little more complicated than that, Carter." Kara glanced at Cat, who was working on something, or pretending to.

He frowned, then his eyes lit up and he opened his mouth in a little O of surprise. "Are you dating? It's fine if you're dating, Mom's dated women before, I don't mind." It came out in a rush.

Cat looked up sharply at that. "Carter, I think we need to talk about boundaries again. Kara and I are not dating, and it's not your business to out me to her. Although, if she reads certain websites... which I suspect she doesn't, she may have already known."

"Uh, no, I wasn't aware of that. Uh... I, um..." It was a lot to take in all at once. Of course, she had suspected, after the way Cat had acted earlier, but to have it confirmed out of the blue like that?

"I'm sorry, Mom." Carter looked down, contrite. "Well, can you come anyway? I would like that. Maybe next weekend?"

The no on Kara's lips died at the look in Carter's eyes. She glanced at Cat, who nodded. "Well, I can't this weekend, but maybe next? Sunday?"

"Cool! Mom, is that okay?"

"I'll have my assistant check my schedule, but I believe it is. Now do your homework."

"Yes, Mom." Carter opened his bag again and dragged out one book after the other.

Kara stood. "Well, I think that's my cue to get going. Nice seeing you, Carter. Miss Grant, you have my number, right? If you don't, James Olsen does."

"I do. I'll have my assistant call to finalize the details."

"Right. See you later, then." Kara waved goodbye, mostly to Carter, and left the office, feeling as though she should be more upset than she was about her secret being found out. But no, there was something exciting about it all.

Kara stopped by James' office on the way out.

"So? How was it?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, she saw right through me, but..."

"Uh... that's bad."

Kara nodded. "It is. But now we have a lunch date..." Kara winced. "Well, not a date date, you know what I mean. We're meeting for lunch, along with Carter, the weekend after next. Carter's idea."

"And you just couldn't say no to him?" James leaned back a little, crossed his arms, raised his eyebrows.

Kara shook her head. "He really likes me... and Miss Grant is a completely different person around him." _Someone I might just want to know._ But then, Cat Grant the reporter, with her confidence... no, it was more like chutzpah, or nerve... well, she was just as attractive, if a whole lot scarier. At least Kara didn't have much to hide from her anymore.

James sighed. "Well, it's your funeral."

_It might really be_ , reflected Kara as she waved goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bit with the statue falling is probably inspired by If Only by SpaceshipsAreCool - http://archiveofourown.org/works/6115279


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara loses her powers, talks about her girl trouble with Alex, gets drunk, and gets sick. But Cat surprises her with a nice gesture while she's recovering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has expanded far beyond what I originally intended, so the number of planned chapters has increased from 5 to 6. Can you believe this was originally supposed to be a modest little oneshot?

After a long, grueling fight with the Red Tornado, Kara was so exhausted that she let Alex drop her off near her studio in a DEO car, then stumbled over to her desk and put her head down, only for a moment.

Or so she thought, but when she woke up it was dark out, her phone was ringing, and a piece of paper had stuck to her face. She looked at the phone, saw Alex's number, peeled off the paper and answered.

"Hello."

"Hi, Kara. I'm just checking if we're still on for movie night at your place. I know that fight took it out of you, so..."

"Why, what time is it?" Kara rubbed her eyes, still half asleep.

"Relax, it's only 5:30. We said 7, right? Are you okay? You sound funny."

"I'm fine," said Kara, taking the effort to sit up and speak more clearly. "I was taking a nap. You woke me up. But I'll be there."

"Okay, good. See you then."

"See ya."

Kara stood, rubbed her face, stretched, and searched for a clean glass, then poured herself some water. _I should make something,_ she thought. _It's been a while._ She had a project that would require etching a design into a sheet of metal using her eye beams. The effect was different, less precise, larger-scale than using an actual laser etching machine, but for this project it was perfect.

She selected the piece of metal, then copied the design onto it with a dry erase marker. Setting it up on a work surface, she focused her eyes on it.

Nothing happened.

She tried again, really straining her eyes this time, but again, nothing happened. Experimentally, she tried looking through the table, but again, nothing.

_Crap._

She walked back to her desk, already dialing Alex... and stubbed her toe on the foot of her chair just as the call connected.

“Ow ow ow.”

“Kara?” Alex sounded confused and a little alarmed.

“I'm okay. I think. I stubbed my toe on something.” Beat. “And it actually hurt. I think I've lost my powers.”

“Well, you did kind of overdo it earlier.” Kara could tell that Alex was still worried, in spite of her attempt to lighten the mood. “Are you still at your studio?”

“Yes. I was trying to make something, but... no powers.” Kara knew she could still draw or paint... even blow glass with conventional tools, though she'd have to be more careful not to injure herself than usual, but it hurt not to be able to create as freely as she wanted.

“Okay, I'll send someone to pick you up and meet you at the DEO for some tests. I suspect this is temporary—your cousin blows out his powers too, from time to time—but we need to make sure. All right?”

“Sure.” Kara nodded, even though Alex couldn't see it, a little of the tension unknotting itself from her belly. “But what about movie night?”

“Well, we might have to start a little later than usual, but I'm sure we can fit it in somehow.” Alex talked to someone else for a moment, but without her super hearing, Kara couldn't make out the words. “Your ride should be there in 15 minutes. See you soon.”

“Bye.”

* * *

 

Less than half an hour later, Kara was at the DEO in her Supergirl uniform, getting poked and prodded and scanned. At one point, a DEO nurse drew her blood, which actually hurt, and bandaged up the wound. Kara found herself staring at the bandage in consternation.

Alex, ever the loving sister, snickered at her expression. “Is this a new experience for you, Supergirl?”

Kara slowly shook her head. “I remember getting immunizations on Krypton when I was little. Did you know I used to be afraid of needles?”

“Most little kids are, I guess.”

 _Alex is probably one of the few people on Earth who_ wouldn't _be surprised by that_ _revelation_. Kara nodded and rolled down her sleeve, the bandage making a lump in the fabric. “Are there any more tests, or can I go home now?”

“I think that's it for tonight, but they'll probably want you to come in again tomorrow, especially if your powers haven't come back by then.”

* * *

 

Kara changed clothes first, at Alex's reminder that she couldn't fast-change without her powers. When they were almost to Kara's apartment, Kara turned to Alex. “Do you know what I want to try?”

“What?”

“I want to get drunk.”

Alex raised her eyebrows at that. “Really?”

“Yeah, why not? I mean normally I could chug whiskey and it wouldn't have any effect on me. But now it should.”

Alex grinned. “I think I'm going to enjoy this.”

_Oh, great._

They swung by the liquor store on the way to the apartment, and bought some of the sugary, fruity pre-mixed things Kara liked, as well as beer for Alex. On a whim, Alex picked up a bottle of her favorite rum as well—she was running low, anyway.

* * *

 

Kara grimaced at her first sip. “Is it _supposed_ to burn on the way down?”

Alex laughed and took a look at the can. “That stuff's only six percent. Wait until you try something stronger, you wimp.”

“Ugh, I'm not sure I want to.”

Alex shrugged. “Well, it's your choice, but like you said, this might be your only chance for a while.”

“Okay, fine. I'll try it, but I don't promise to take more than a sip.”

Alex paused the video and went to the kitchen, pouring a tiny amount of rum in the bottom of a glass. “Here.”

Kara looked at it dubiously for a few moments, then took a miniscule sip. It seemed to light her throat on fire, but after a moment it passed. “Ugh.”

Alex snickered again. “Here, give me that.”

Kara looked at her suspiciously, holding the glass closer to her chest. “What are you going to do?”

“You have coke, right? I'm going to make it into a rum and coke. A very weak one, I promise.”

“Sure, it's in the door of the fridge.” Just then the doorbell rang, and Kara automatically tried to see through the door, before remembering that she didn't have her powers. “That's probably the pizza guy. I'll get it.” She handed her glass to Alex, then stood. As she bent to pick up her wallet from the table, she wobbled and nearly lost her balance, letting out a curse in Kryptonese.

Alex shook her head. “Are you drunk already?”

“I'm not!” She protested. “I'm just a klutz without my powers.” But she got to the door without further incident and paid for the pizza. By the time she got it back to the table, Alex was waiting with her drink.

“Here, try this.” Alex held out a glass of what looked, by the color, to be entirely Coke.

Cautiously, Kara took a sip. “That's a little better.”

“That's probably weaker than your other drink, you know,” said Alex, taking a slice of pizza.

“I don't know how you do it.”

“It's an acquired taste. Why did you want to get drunk, anyway?”

Kara shrugged. “Rough day?” She took another sip of the rum and coke. “Rough week?” She took a slice of pizza herself, and bit it, somewhat mechanically.

Alex nodded. “I thought so. So tell me, what's wrong?”

Looking at her sister, Kara remembered that though Alex didn't have quite the reporter's nose for a story that Cat Grant did, she knew Kara better than anyone on Earth. And Kara had never been as good at hiding things as Alex was turning out to be.

She took another bite of pizza, buying time to decide how to tell her story. In the end, she told Alex everything—about meeting Cat Grant, about her interview with James, about how sweet Carter was and how beautiful and intimidating Cat was, about how Cat had seen right through her, finishing off with, “and I'm pretty sure she was flirting with me.” Kara swallowed the last bit of the slice of pizza. “Normally, I would try to work this out through art, but without my powers, it's not the same.”

Alex had stayed silent through Kara's whole speech. She could be a good listener, when she had to, and that was one of the things Kara loved about her. Now she was thinking, weighing everything Kara had said.

“Do you really think we can trust Cat Grant with your secret?” asked Alex. “I mean, Jimmy Olsen is one thing, but the Queen of All Media? What it is with you Kryptonians and reporters?”

“I don't know,” said Kara as she picked out another slice. “But she knows now, so I guess we'll have to trust her. Unless you have some kind of fancy Men in Black technology over at the DEO?” Kara almost hoped Alex did, so that she could pretend the whole confusing incident never happened.

“If we do, it's way over my clearance level. But I don't think we do. Did she put any conditions on keeping it secret?”

“I was sure she would, after everything I'd heard about her, but no. She said she didn't want to make trouble for my family.” Kara sighed. At some point she'd finished the rum and coke, and now she was drinking something fruity again. “Every time I think I have her figured out, she does the opposite of what I expect. The only thing I'm sure of is that she really loves her son. And I'm meeting them for lunch on Sunday.”

“Sounds like you've got girl trouble. You want me to do the 'you hurt my sister, you answer to me' routine?” As she spoke, Alex straightened up, deepening her voice and putting on the expression she used for particularly troublesome detainees.

Kara burst out laughing. “No, no, I can pass. Though... I'd almost like to see you try.” The mental image of a staring contest between Alex and Cat was just too rich. “Did I ever tell you that you're my hero?”

“Am I?” Alex let something slip just then, a doubt, a vulnerability that she rarely let Kara see, but even in her current state Kara caught it.

“You are,” she said, more seriously. “I mean it. I couldn't do what I do without you. I couldn't... I couldn't be who I am without you. I may have been born Kara Zor-El,” and as she said the name, her voice took on tinges of her Kryptonian accent and the pride of her birth family, “but you, as much... maybe more than Eliza or Jeremiah, are the one that helped me become Kara Danvers. I'm glad to be both.”

Alex blinked hard and didn't speak for a moment. “I...” she swallowed. “I didn't realize. I always thought... when you first got here, I always thought I wasn't... I always thought I failed you, that I pushed you away.”

“You were a teenager, and I was a weirdo from another planet,” said Kara. “But you had my back when it counted, and you've been there for me ever since. I mean it, Alex.” She scooted closer to Alex on the couch, putting down her drink, and wrapped her arms around her sister.

“Thanks.” Alex hugged her for a moment, then leaned back to look Kara in the eye and said, “I should have gotten you drunk sooner. You're a nice drunk.”

“I'm not drunk. I've had what, two drinks?” Kara was indignant.

“Almost three now. The same number as me. But you're a little drunk.”

Kara seemed to take that as a challenge, chugging the rest of the can and opening another one, then another after she finished that. By the end of the evening, Alex had to help her into bed.

“Alex,” asked Kara, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling.

“What?”

“Why is the world spinning?”

“Because you really are drunk, Kara. Here.” Alex helped Kara to sit up, then put another pillow underneath her head. “Does that help?”

“A little.” The spinning seemed to slow down, becoming almost bearable.

“Goodnight. Don't forget, we need you to come in and do some tests tomorrow.”

“Kay. Night Alex.”

* * *

 

The next morning, Kara woke up with a pounding headache and a queasy stomach to the sound of her phone ringing. It was Alex.

“I'm gonna kill you,” said Kara before Alex could say anything. “I've never felt this awful in my life.”

“Will you still kill me, even though I'm on my way to your apartment with donuts? And remember, you're the one who wanted to get drunk.”

“But you let me!” Kara took one look at her alarm clock and dragged herself out of bed, then immediately regretted it when her stomach churned. “Okay, I won't kill you. But I might torture you a little.”

“I'll be up in a second, so open the door for me,” said Alex, then hung up.

Kara trudged to the door and opened it when she heard a knock. Sure enough, it was Alex with a big box of donuts. “You didn't tell me the sunlight would hurt,” said Kara.

“Well, I didn't expect you to drink so much you got a hangover!” said Alex. “I got you some crullers, and a chocolate old-fashioned for me.”

“I'm not sure I'm hungry,” said Kara. “but I'll eat one.”

Alex put a hand to Kara's forehead. Kara batted it away.

“Sorry, I thought you must be sick, if you're not hungry.”

* * *

 

The Supergirl who accompanied Alex to the DEO that day was the least super looking Supergirl the agents there had ever seen, including the times she'd come in injured or unconscious, but with Alex glaring at anyone that looked at her funny, no one dared to question it, except for Hank.

Wincing, Kara said, “My _dearly beloved sister_ kind of drank me under the table last night.”

“For scientific reasons, of course, sir. It turns out that Supergirl is a bit of a lightweight without her powers.”

“Uh-huh. I'm sure it was very enlightening.” Hank didn't seem the least bit convinced.

* * *

 

The next morning, Kara woke up late, with a runny nose and a bad cough.

 _Great, just great._ She dialed the number Cat Grant's assistant had given her when setting up the time, expecting an assistant or an answering machine, but it turned out to be Cat's personal cell.

“Hello, Kiera.”

“Good morning, Miss Grant,” she said, her voice hoarse.

“You sound sick.” Kara couldn't tell if Cat sounded concerned or disgusted. Perhaps a little of both.

“Yes, I am. I don't think I should come to lunch today, but I promise I'll make it up to you. And to Carter.”

“Yes, stay at home. I'm sure you can come up with something for Carter.”

After giving herself a few minutes to rest from the strain of speaking with a sore throat, Kara called Alex, who insisted on coming over right away.

“It's just a cold, Alex,” said Kara, but then she broke out into a wheezing cough that must have sounded absolutely dreadful, because she heard Alex gasp on the other end of the line. “Okay, fine, it's a _bad_ cold.”

Still, Kara was surprised by how quickly the doorbell rang.

“Coming!”

She grimaced at the sound of her own voice, then trudged to the door. But instead of Alex, it was a delivery guy, from one of those meal delivery services.

“Delivery for a Miss... Kara Danvers?” he said.

“That's me. But I didn't order anything.”

“No? Says here it was paid for by a Miss Grant.” He held out a plastic bag filled with several containers.

Kara took it. “Thank you,” she said. “Uh, I'll get you a tip or something, if you hold on a moment.”

“That's nice of you, miss, but like I said, it's all taken care of.”

Kara would have insisted on giving the guy a few bucks anyway, but he was already leaving and she didn't have the energy to go after him, so she carried the bag to her coffee table and opened it. Aside from the containers, there was a piece of paper, obviously printed off of the delivery company website. In the “special instructions” section, there was a note.

Kara,

Mom says you're sick, so we got you some soup from my favorite restaurant. Get well soon so we can hang out again!

-Carter

PS: Mom won't tell you this, but she's actually pretty worried about you. Call us as soon as you get better.

PPS: Mom must really like you. I haven't seen her this worried in a long time.

PPPS: Mom doesn't know I added this message. ;)

* * *

 

As Kara was reading the note, there was another knock at the door. She tried to say, “It's open!” but it came out as sort of a croak. Alex must have understood anyway, because she stepped inside. She wore black slacks and a black polo shirt and carried a duffel bag.

“Hey, are you feeling any better?” she asked, setting down the bag near the couch where Kara was sitting.

Kara shook her head. “Almost lost my voice.” She pointed to the delivery bag. “Miss Grant sent this.” She held out the note to Alex.

Alex scanned it. “In-teresting. But it's sweet of them to send you all this.” She opened the bag, pulling out a large paper container with a plastic lid and pried it off, sniffing. “Chicken soup. Smells nice.”

Kara tried to sniff it too. “Um, I can't sbell anything. Is that normal?” Kara hadn't been sick in over ten years and was having a hard time remembering what it was like.

“Your nose is plugged. So yeah, it's normal. It's not like you have super-smelling powers or anything, anyway. Do you?”

Kara frowned. “I don't... think so?” When she'd arrived on Earth, everything had smelled different from Krypton—different plants, animals, foods, smoke... but not stronger, as far as she could tell.

“Good. Because that would be kind of weird.” Alex pulled out a couple more boxes. “Looks like there's bread and... some kind of dessert. Ah, tiramisu. Yum.”

“I'm not feeling that hungry,” said Kara. She was, in fact, feeling thoroughly sorry for herself.

“Even when you're not hungry, you have to eat something,” said Alex. “but first, let me take your temperature.”

“I don't have a fever,” grumbled Kara, but she opened her mouth for the thermometer when Alex gave her a look.

Moments later, it beeped. “Looks like you're right, no fever. Well, I mean, I don't know for sure what qualifies as a fever for Kryptonians, but you're pretty close to your normal temperature, so...”

“Told ya.” Kara frowned and cleared her throat. “Hold on.” She stood and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen from her desk, then sat and started writing.

 _Hurts to talk. Can't remember the conversion rn, but in Kryptonese a fever should be about..._ and she gave the temperature.

She handed the pad over to Alex. “I don't know why I didn't think to just ask,” said Alex, reading the note. Alex scribbled a few calculations on the pad. “Okay, yeah, you're right, no fever.” Alex handed back the pad.

_Do we have to go to the DEO? I really don't feel good._

Alex read the message and sighed. “Kara, the DEO is your best shot at getting your powers back sooner, rather than later. And if you get them back, I'm willing to bet that your cold will just go away. But I guess we don't have to leave right now. Have you had anything to eat yet today?”

Kara shook her head.

“I'll put some of this soup in a bowl for you, and you'll eat it, and maybe some of the bread.” Alex's tone was stern.

“Okay.” Kara scribbled another note. _You can have the dessert._

Alex laughed as she saw the note. “That's a first. But I'll take it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know everyone has been eagerly awaiting Kara's date (or is that 'date'?) with Cat, but I just had to get in a little sisterly bonding. Not to worry though, the wait will be over soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara's powers are still gone when an earthquake hits National City. But after they return and the dust settles, she has a heart-to-heart with Cat and they both say a little more than they mean to.

When the earthquake hit, Kara was at her studio, frowning over a sketch. She balled it up and threw it in the trash. She'd more or less recovered from her cold, and her appetite was better, but still no powers. And to add insult to injury, she had art block. Which was two of her main sources of stress relief down at once—she couldn't fly and she couldn't do art. Even her sketches seemed uninspired, lifeless.

The room started to shake around her, and it took Kara a moment to realize what was happening. But she'd had earthquake safety training on two planets, so with little hesitation she dove under her desk and covered her head with her hands.

The windows rattled in their frames, and something fell with a clatter. Kara suddenly realized that she hadn't secured the projects she was working on at all—what if one of them fell over?

Her thoughts were interrupted when a glass fell off a high shelf and shattered near her, covering her with shards. If she hadn't had her head down, some of them might have hit her face. As it was, some of the shards hit her, leaving her with small lacerations on the back of both hands and a bigger shard stuck in the left one. She hissed with pain.

* * *

 

Kara's phone rang. Awkwardly, she pulled it out of her pocket and unlocked it with her good hand. It was Cat. She turned to the other volunteers and said, “Sorry, I have to take this,” before stepping away.

“Hi?”

“Where the hell are you? You should be out there, helping people!”

Even without her super hearing, Kara had to pull the phone away from her ear. “Miss Grant, I-”

“I don't care if you're still sick! If you have a reason, it had better damn well be a good one!”

Kara took a deep breath, exhaled. “I lost my powers a couple days ago.”

“You... what?” Kara had never heard Cat sound so uncertain, so... surprised and dismayed.

_She must have been counting on me more than I realized._ “I used too much all at once, a few days ago. I'm not even bulletproof right now. I'm injured... not badly, but I certainly can't fly or pick up cars or anything. Didn't you wonder how Supergirl could get sick?”

“I... yes. But... it isn't permanent, is it?”

“No, but I don't know when they'll come back. I've been out here trying to help people, but I can only do it as Kara, not as Supergirl. I'm handing out bottled water, here. A man died in front of me, and I couldn't save him. Believe me, if I could be doing more, I would.” Kara's voice rose as she spoke, and she glanced behind her to see if anyone was listening. _I haven't felt this helpless since before I came to this planet._

Kara heard Cat sigh into the phone. “I see. Well, in that case it's up to the rest of us to pick up the slack, wouldn't you say?”

“Miss Grant?” _What is she going to do?_

“Relax, Kara, I'm just going to put my media empire to good use. Try tuning in about half an hour from now.” And with that she hung up, leaving Kara wondering when Cat had bothered to remember her actual name.

* * *

 

When the worst was over, Kara flew to Catco and hovered near Cat's balcony, where Cat was having a drink, gazing out at the city.

“Hello, Miss Grant. I just wanted to thank you for what you said today. It inspired me.”

“You're welcome,” said Cat. “Come, join me.”

Kara landed and leaned against the railing.

“We've come to depend on you so much in such a short time,” said Cat. “I'm not sure that's a good thing, if you can just lose your powers like that.”

“You're starting to sound like Maxwell Lord,” grumbled Kara.

Cat sighed and took a swig of her drink. “I didn't mean it as a criticism of you. Maxwell Lord is an opportunistic, xenophobic piece of shit. Everything he does is for his own gain. I just... it shook me, I guess.”

That was frighteningly honest, and Kara wasn't sure she was ready for this side of Cat.

Maybe Cat wasn't sure if she was ready either, because after a moment she changed the subject. “God, it's going to be awful getting home.”

The streets—the ones that weren't blocked off—were full of cars, bumper-to-bumper traffic in places. It'd been like that across the city for the last few hours, and since Kara's powers had returned she'd spent quite a while flying emergency vehicles where they needed to go.

Kara shifted from one foot to the other, losing most of the self-assurance she wore like armor while in costume. What she was about to suggest scared her a little. “I was thinking... I could save you from all this traffic? Get you home quicker? Make it up to Carter, all in one go?”

“Kara... you don't mean... ?”

“Yes. I could fly you home, if you like. Let Carter meet his hero.” She smiled, uncertain of herself.

“Well, I'm not sure that counts as Kara making it up to Carter... unless you plan to tell him who you are.” But Cat was smiling again.

“I... wasn't planning on it, no. The fewer people who know, the better. And... I like Carter, but he doesn't exactly seem to be good at keeping secrets.”

“To be fair, he thought you already knew I was bisexual. But no, you're right. He's a bit too impulsive for that.”

“So... are you going to take me up on my offer?” Kara wasn't quite sure if she wanted Cat to agree or not. Okay, she did want it, but she was afraid, too.

Cat looked at her, looked at her half-empty glass, and downed the rest of its contents. “Just let me call Carter first.”

Kara nodded, smiling, her heart pounding in her chest. It had been years since she'd flown with anyone just for fun—years since she'd even asked anyone.

Cat stepped inside, grabbed her purse, and pulled out her phone. “Hey, Carter. I'll be home a little early, in a few minutes. Can you meet me at the door? There's someone I'd like to introduce you to.” Cat listened for a moment, then said, “Okay, see you then. Bye!” She hung up, then walked over to join Kara, shutting the balcony door behind her. “Let's do this before I sober up enough to change my mind.”

“Okay. Uh, how do you want me to hold you?” Kara suddenly didn't know what to do with her hands.

“How about this?” Facing Kara, Cat put her arms around her neck, as though she was going to kiss her. But instead, she pulled her close, so that their bodies were touching.

Kara felt her heart race, and a warmth suffused her at Cat's touch. “I, uh, yes, that should work.” Awkwardly, she wrapped both arms around Cat's waist, pulling her upwards so that she was supporting most of Cat's weight. Then, slowly, she let them float off of the ground.

She felt Cat's arms tighten around her.

“I won't let you fall,” said Kara, her superhero confidence back again.

“You'd better not,” said Cat. “If you do, I'll haunt you for the rest of eternity.” But she relaxed ever so slightly, though her heart was still pounding.

“I'd like to show you something before I take you home, if that's okay,” said Kara, still hovering a few feet above the balcony.

She felt Cat nod into her hair, her “Okay,” almost lost to the wind. So Kara flew slowly up and towards the center of National City, holding Cat tightly in her arms.

“Here we are,” she said at last. When Cat didn't react, Kara leaned back to look into her eyes.

Which were shut.

“C'mon, open your eyes. I promise it's worth it.”

“When you said you wanted to show me something, I assumed we would be landing first.” Cat was shaking, just a little, and Kara could feel as much as hear her heart thundering away.

“Hey, I know it's scary, but you're safe with me, okay?”

“Like hell you know. You can fly, for heaven's sake.”

Kara took a deep breath. “When I was little, my aunt took me flying for the first time." Kara's heart gave a little twist at the thought of happier times, when they hadn't been enemies, but she kept talking. "On Krypton, we didn't have powers, but we had flight belts. I was terrified that mine would give out or that I'd crash into something. I refused to let go of her. So, yes, I know. But I swear by Rao that this is worth it. Please, open your eyes. For me?”

“By Rao?”

“Our god, and also our sun. It's a pretty serious oath.”

Cat opened her eyes at last, first one, then the other. Her grip tightened again as she did so. Then she let out a soft gasp.

“Oh my god.”

All of National City stretched out before them, sparkling in the night, far enough below them that the people looked like ants, the cars like fireflies.

“I've seen the city so many times from airplanes and helicopters, but it isn't the same.” She was silent for a moment. “We must look so small to you.”

Kara shook her head, hurt. “No. You look... wonderful.” She took them down gently towards the nearest rooftop, and set Cat down almost silently.

Cat sighed with relief and let go of her hold around Kara's neck. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“No, I mean, humans look wonderful. Not that you don't look good too. I mean, uh... there haven't been any other girls.” Kara was getting flustered. Supergirl shouldn't get flustered, but Cat seemed to have that effect on her.

“Really?”

“I haven't taken anyone flying... not like this, I mean, not just for fun, in years. The last person I took is my sister.”

“You've mentioned her before. Is she anything like you?” Cat seemed curious, merely asking, not probing as she had before.

“She's... well, she's human, but as corny as it sounds, she's kind of my hero.” Kara smiled softly. “So are you, I guess.”

“Me?” Cat frowned and tilted her head, taking a step back to really look Kara in the eye. “Why?”

“You inspired everyone when I couldn't be there for them. You put your assistant's safety before your own. You gave me advice when I needed it. Perhaps most of all, you protected my family even though you had more to gain by revealing my secrets. You're abrasive as all hell when you want to be, but underneath it all, I think you're a good person.”

Afterwards, Kara was never quite sure who started the kiss (maybe it was both of them), but it was everything that she hadn't expected when kissing Cat Grant: soft, tender, romantic. Maybe it was the moon and stars shining down on them that did it, or the soft breeze flowing through their hair, or the sheer joy of flying (though it seemed like Cat had mostly experienced the terror). Whatever it was, it felt right, like they were mean to be there, like coming home.

“Wow,” said Kara, a little dazed, breaking off the kiss.

“Wow is right.” Cat smiled at her, and Kara felt her heart soar. “You... really do see the best in everyone, don't you?”

“I try.” Kara grinned, a very goofy Kara grin that looked out of place on Supergirl. “Now, shall I get you home to your son, Miss Grant?”

“After that kiss, I think you've earned the right to call me Cat, Kara. But yes, I don't want to keep Carter waiting.”

Kara nodded, and wrapped her arms around Cat once again. She was about to take off when she facepalmed.

“What?”

“I just realized, I don't know where you live.”

* * *

 

Kara landed right in front of the Grants' house and set Cat down as gently as possible. She had half expected a mansion, but instead it was a large, angular, pale gray two-story house, flat-roofed with large windows and a balcony along one side, one of a few such houses mixed in with the older houses in one of the more expensive suburbs of National City.

“Should we tell Carter that we're... whatever it is we're doing?” asked Kara as she let go of Cat.

“Not until we've figured out what it is that we're doing. And... it's probably safer for me to do... whatever it is with Kara than Supergirl, don't you think?”

“Yes.” Kara was a little relieved—she didn't want to put Cat in the kind of danger that publicly being with Supergirl would put her in, and she wasn't sure she wanted to come out to the whole world yet. Only Kara's friends and family would care about her orientation, but for Supergirl to date a woman, any woman? It'd be front-page news for sure.

Cat had just stepped up to the door and was reaching into her purse for her keys when the door flew open and Carter bounded out.

“Mom! I thought I saw...” He noticed Supergirl, his eyes wide. “Supergirl! I knew I saw you drop out of the sky! Did you give Mom a ride?”

Kara nodded. “Yes, I did.” She was careful to maintain her Supergirl attitude, lest he take after Cat and see right through her.

“Wow, that's so cool. What was it like, Mom? You must have been scared.” He turned to Kara and mouthed what looked like _she's afraid of heights_.

Kara just about burst out laughing at the expression on Cat's face. All of Cat's considerable defenses came down around this kid. It was amazing to see.

“It was great, Carter. Now, we can't keep Supergirl away from her duties all night, so if you want to talk to her, now's your chance.”

He nodded, then walked up to Kara, stiffly holding out his hand. “I'm Carter. Nice to meet you.”

She took his hand and shook it, just as gravely. “Nice to meet you, Carter. Your mother said you were a fan.”

Suddenly he seemed shy again. It was always an odd experience for Kara, meeting the same person in each of her different identities. “A... uh, a friend of mine said I was your number 1 fan, but that's probably not true. She... made me a copy of that symbol you wear so I could put it on my backpack. Is... is that okay?”

She pretended to think about it. “It is,” she said at last, “As long as you don't do anything with it that would bring shame on my house.”

“Your... house?”

“You know that Superman's my cousin, right?”

“Of course I do. My mom was the one that found that out.” He seemed proud of that.

“Right. It's our family's coat of arms. So just... make sure to act honorably as long as you carry it and I don't mind at all.”

Carter nodded solemnly. “I promise. But... would Superman mind, you think?”

Kara shrugged and bent down to look Carter in the eye, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper. “I'll let you in on a little secret: he might look older than me, but I outrank him. He probably wouldn't mind, though.”

“Great! I have so many questions-”

“Carter...” Cat's voice carried a note of warning.

His shoulders slumped. “...but I guess you'd better get back to protecting the city. Nice to meet you, Supergirl.”

“Likewise.” And Kara took off right in front of him, the wind ruffling his hair in the process.

“Wow,” said Carter, before turning and heading back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What I didn't tell you last chapter is that the 'date' is actually in chapter 6! Muahahaha!
> 
> ...I kind of doubt you all mind though, at this point.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara (finally) has her date that isn't a date date - dinner chez les Grant. But she puts her foot in it, and Carter is all too much his mother's son and sees right through her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a difficult one to write, not least because it grew to about twice its planned length.
> 
> I'd also like to thank all of you who have stuck with me and stuck with this story all the way to the end. Your support means a lot to me.

“So, tell me more about the inspiration for that statue I bought,” said Cat, serving herself some salad.

It was two days after Kara and Cat had started... well, whatever it was they were doing, and Kara was making up for the missed lunch date with dinner at the Grant residence. It was something of a late dinner, but apparently Cat had cooked it herself—pasta Alfredo with green salad. There was white wine for the adults and sparkling cider for Carter, and Carter had pulled Kara aside to whisper that he had been promised dessert, which was apparently a big deal.

The Grants' open-concept kitchen looked out over a sprawling living room with a smallish dining area—it would have been difficult to seat more than six people around their dining table. Everything was modern and spotlessly clean, down to the glass-topped table and the white table linens Carter had been laying out when Kara arrived. She was glad that the wine in her glass was white—she'd have been nervous about spilling a red and staining something.

“Ever since my parents died, I dream of a planet in flames,” said Kara, serious.

Cat nodded, but Carter looked stricken, and Kara realized she hadn't told him. _Whoops. I should probably not have opened with that._

“Your parents died? When? How did they die?”

“There was a fire. When I was thirteen.”

She could see him calculating, realizing he wasn't much younger than she had been at the time. He looked at Cat, sad, and she put her arm around his shoulders.

No one seemed to know what to say, so Kara kept talking. “But then I got adopted by this great family. I'm okay now.”

“But... can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“You miss them, right?”

Kara smiled sadly, thinking of Astra, who was now her enemy, and of Alura's hologram, which was seeming more and more of a cold comfort as time went on. “Of course I do, Carter. It's not as hard as it was at first, but it's still hard sometimes. But I see my sister... my foster sister all the time, and that helps a lot.”

“You have a sister?”

“Yeah, she's a couple years older than me. We have movie nights all the time. She's a doctor.”

“That must be nice, having a sister.”

Cat's expression flickered as Carter said that, though Kara couldn't put her finger on why.

“It is. So, anyway, some of my work, including that statue, is a way of working through my feelings about my dreams, about loss... but sometimes I do more cheerful things, too. Good memories. Happy dreams, hopes for the future.” She thought of the sketch of Cat that was sitting on her desk at that moment, the image of how she'd looked as she gazed out over the city, then realized she was staring at Cat and turned back to Carter.

“Like those little animals?” asked Carter.

Kara nodded and took some more pasta. “Among other things.”

“You said you always had something to work on with you. Do you have something now?”

“Yep. A little sketchbook. And no, I won't let you look through it, it's private.”

“Darn.” He grinned. “That's okay. I didn't think you would. Have you made any more of those Supergirl things? She said it's her coat of arms.”

“Did she? And nope, I haven't. Not since I gave you one.”

Which was technically true, though she'd given a smaller one to Alex shortly after she started working with wire and long before she became Supergirl, to signify that Alex was part of her family. Alex had gone all silent and for a moment Kara had thought she didn't want it, but then Alex had hugged her as hard as she could and Kara had known she'd done the right thing. They hadn't told Eliza about it, but Kara knew Alex wore it sometimes, hidden under her clothing. But after Alex graduated, when, Kara now knew, she started working at the DEO, she stopped wearing it entirely. That had hurt, when Kara first realized it. Later, when Kara found out about the DEO, she realized that that, too, had probably been to protect her.

 _Why did I give Carter one?_ Kara wondered, and then she realized it: because he was lonely, and because she needed someone to cheer her on. _Maybe someday he'll be my family too._

Kara realized she was getting ahead of herself—they hadn't even officially decided they were dating yet—and that she had been ignoring the conversation.

“Earth to Kara,” said Carter.

“Sorry, I guess I got distracted,” she said. She glanced down at her plate and was surprised to see it empty. The pasta bowl was empty, too, and there were only a few smallish leaves of lettuce in the bottom of the salad bowl, but she was still a little hungry.

Cat followed her gaze and raised her eyebrows. “Did we really finish all of that off?”

“What can I say, I've got a fast metabolism.”

“Ah, to be young again.” Cat stood up. “Can you two clear the table? I've got to pop something in the oven.”

“Yes, Mom,” said Carter, just as Kara said, “Sure, Cat.”

As they cleared the dishes, Carter looked at Kara suspiciously. “When did you start calling Mom by her first name?”

“Uh, the other day...?”

“Hmm.” He picked up a few more pieces of silverware, piling them onto his plate, while Kara grabbed the serving dishes. “Did something happen? I know you talked on the phone while you were sick.”

 _Did he overhear her when she yelled at me for not helping people? Or is he talking about our other conversation?_ “Uh, nothing in particular, I guess.” _We agreed not to tell him what happened the other night._

“You're not a very good liar.”

Kara sighed. “And you're just as nosy as your mom.”

“Thanks!” He carried the silverware into the kitchen.

Cat was just shutting the oven. “Have you been pestering Kara, sweetie?”

“No-ooo, of course not.” He grinned as he said it, though, not even trying to deceive her.

“Liar.” Cat gave him a fond grin.

“I wouldn't have to pester if you two would just tell me what was going on,” he said, opening the dishwasher as Cat slipped past the kitchen island into the living room.

Kara, who had followed him, met Cat's eyes and shrugged.

“Well, then, give me your theory. What do you think is going on?”

Carter dropped the last knife into the dishwasher and straightened up, making space for Kara to put the serving dishes in the sink.

“I think that you two like each other, and if you aren't dating, then you want to be.” He looked at Cat, then at Kara. “Well?”

“And what would you think of that, if that were true?” asked Kara, ignoring Cat's warning look.

“I'd be glad,” he said, going to the table to pick up the last few dishes. “You're a lot cooler than most of the people Mom's dated recently.” He met Cat's eyes and shrugged. “Sorry, but you know it's true.”

She laughed. “No, you're right. And, although I didn't plan for it to be like this... Kara, do you want to make it official?”

Instead of answering, Kara swept Cat up in a tight hug, nearly knocking her off her feet.

“I thought you'd never ask,” said Kara, still holding Cat.

“Uh... you're crushing me,” said Cat in a strangled voice.

“OmigodI'msosorry.” Kara let go immediately. “Are you okay? Sometimes I don't know my own strength.”

“I... think so. Yes, I'm fine.”

“I've changed my mind,” said Carter disgustedly. “This is the worst thing ever.”

Kara and Cat both spun to look at him, but though his face was serious, his eyes shone with mischief.

“That... was a joke,” said Cat. “You... made a joke.”

“Of course I did. I'm happy for you, but if you're gonna get all mushy I don't wanna see it. Now, can we watch something while we're waiting for dessert? I did all my homework for tomorrow.”

“What about that project... when's it due again?”

“Friday. We got a lot done in class and I worked on my part earlier. Please?”

“Okay, fine.”

They all sat down on a huge, very plush gray couch decorated with a few pillows, which were some of the few spots of color in the room—well, besides the art on the fridge, which Carter must have drawn when he was little, and the bookcase full of board and card games. Kara recognized several, but there were a few she'd never played before, and she would have gotten up to look at them, except that she was tired, and the couch was incredibly comfortable.

“Oh, my god,” said Kara. “I don't think I'm ever getting up again.” She could feel herself slowly sinking into the couch. “I feel like I'm sitting on a cloud.”

“I think we've found your weakness,” said Cat.

“Um, yes. A good couch after a good meal? I give.”

Carter picked out a documentary about space, with Cat's approval, and they all settled in to watch. Cat refilled her wine glass.

“Kara, do you want anything?”

“No, thank you. I'm good,” said Kara a bit sleepily. “Seriously, I think this couch is better than my bed.”

“Shh,” said Carter. “It's starting.”

* * *

 

About half an hour later, Cat got up to check the oven.

Carter paused the video and looked over at Kara, only to find that she had fallen asleep and slipped down on the couch, her glasses askew. He was about to try to wake her up when she shifted in her sleep, knocking her glasses off entirely.

He froze. With her glasses off and her hairdo coming undone, locks of wavy hair falling over her shoulders, she looked like-

Instantly, he was up off the sofa. He followed Cat to the kitchen and whispered, “Mom! Did you realize that Kara looks _exactly_ like Supergirl?”

Cat gave a start, letting go of the pie tin she was holding. It fell on the counter, splashing hot juice on her hands where they weren't protected by the hot pads. She hissed with pain.

“I'm so sorry! Are you okay?” Carter rushed to her side. “If you're burned, you've gotta run water on it. Here.” He reached around her and turned on the sink.

“It's okay.” Cat gratefully let the water flow over her hands. “Did you learn that at school?”

“Yeah, we did first aid last month. I think. They're sending me a certificate in the mail.”

“That's good.” Cat pulled her hands out of the water. “It doesn't look too bad, but it still hurts.”

“Well, you should keep the water going a little longer, then.” Carter grabbed one of the hot pads and shut the oven.

“Wait, what's going on?” The noise had woken Kara up, and she was standing behind the couch, having forgotten to put her glasses back on. She looked from Carter's worried expression to Cat's grimace of pain. “Did something happen?”

“I dropped the dessert and some of the filling got on me. I'll be okay, but right now it hurts.”

“I startled her,” said Carter. “I didn't mean to, but...”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Take the pie to the table,” said Cat.

“Sure.” Kara walked to the kitchen and was about to pick it up when Carter tapped her on the arm, holding out the hot pads.

“It's still hot,” he said, watching her face.

“Oh, right, how silly of me.” She took them and carried the pie to the dining table.

Meanwhile, Cat finally turned off the faucet and gingerly dried her hands.

“Mind if I take a look?” asked Kara.

“Go ahead.” She held out her hands, and Kara took them, very gently.

Kara could see faint pink marks on Cat's skin, but a quick x-ray (just in case) revealed no serious damage. “You're right, it's not serious at all, at most a first-degree burn. You'll be fine in a few days.”

“I'm sorry,” said Carter.

“Carter, I'm sure it isn't your fault.”

“It is,” he said, dejected.

“You didn't know I would drop the pan,” said Cat. “So stop blaming yourself.”

“And I bet you didn't even startle her on purpose, right?”

He shook his head. Then his eyes widened. “Right! It was because I walked up to Mom and told her that you look exactly like Supergirl. And you do!”

Kara took a step back, shifting suddenly from nurturing to nervous. “I... you think so?” Her hand went automatically to her face, as if to fiddle with her glasses, and she finally realized they weren't there. Her shoulders slumped.

“I bet you really are Supergirl, too! Supergirl wouldn't need hot pads.”

“That's probably true,” said Kara, feeling cornered. She looked at Cat for support, but Cat just shook her head at her.

“And you don't really need your glasses, and what you said about your art sounds a lot like what Supergirl said about Krypton.”

“Does it?” Kara felt around behind her for a chair and sat down.

“It does. I know. I read that article like 50 times. I was really glad Mom got the first interview, even though she was a little mean about it.” He frowned suddenly. “Oh no, I called you Supergirl's number 2 fan, and you really are Supergirl. I'm so embarrassed.” He slumped and looked down at his feet.

“No, it's fine, I mean...”

He looked at her again with a grin. “Got you to admit it!” He was practically dancing with joy.

“No, I mean, I'm not Supergirl, so it doesn't matter... Cat, a little help here?” Kara pled with her eyes.

Cat crossed her arms over her chest. “Carter, you realize that none of that constitutes proof, right?” Kara had the sense that Cat was trying to make this into a teaching moment.

“Yes... but as circumstantial evidence goes, it's pretty good, right? And we aren't in court or anything.”

“And you know that Supergirl must have good reasons to keep her secrets. She probably thinks that if anyone knew, it would put people she cares about in danger.”

He tapped a finger on his chin, unconsciously echoing the way Cat liked to fidget with her glasses. “So what you're saying is that if you knew who she was, you wouldn't publish it?”

“I wouldn't.”

Kara smiled at that, perhaps a little too fondly.

“Okay, Mom, I won't tell anyone that Kara is Supergirl.” Carter grinned and crossed his arms over his chest, as though that settled it.

“Carter...”

“You can't convince me, Mom, I have eyes.” He rolled them for emphasis.

Cat shrugged, as though to say, W _ell, I tried._

“Your glasses are still on the couch, by the way, not that you need them,” said Carter to Kara. “They fell off when you were sleeping.”

“Thanks.” Kara walked over and retrieved her glasses. Even though she wasn't sure there was still a point to wearing them, Kara felt better once she had them back on. It was rare for anyone other than her sister to see her with them off, except when she was Supergirl, so she felt a little naked without them. For good measure she put her hair back up, too, this time in a loose bun. “So, uh, dessert?”

“Sure. There's some ice cream in the freezer, too, if you want your pie à la mode,” said Cat. She walked over to the table and sat with a sigh, then looked at her hands again. “Carter, can you get the plates and forks?”

“Sure.”

Between Kara and Carter (who still kept shooting Kara suspicious glances) they soon had everything on the table. Kara sat down and took a big whiff of the pie. It was apple, with cinnamon, and the ice cream was vanilla. Not her favorite, but not a bad combination either.

Carter and Kara had their pie with ice cream, but Cat took only pie, and for a moment they ate in silent contentment.

Then Carter piped up. “I wonder if they had pie on Krypton?”

 _Rao protect me._ Kara put her head in her hands. “I wouldn't know, because I'm from Kansas.”

“Smallville, right?” asked Cat. “Wait, that's where Clark Kent is from, too, if I recall correctly.”

“Yeah,” said Kara. “but he moved to Metropolis when I was a kid, so I don't know him that well. His folks are nice, though.” She intentionally avoided implying that she had lived anywhere else before Smallville, not that she thought it would convince Carter now.

And it was immediately obvious that it didn't. “Mom, normally you'd want to find out who Supergirl is as much as I do. So either Kara is Supergirl and you know that, but you're trying to hide it from me for some reason, or you have a really good reason to think she isn't Supergirl... like _maybe_ you know who Supergirl really is. And why Kara looks exactly like her.”

“Does there have to be a reason, even if I do look exactly like her? It's not like she has three heads. Or green skin.”

“If there wasn't a reason, Mom wouldn't care this much that I think you're her,” he pointed out. “If you aren't her, you're connected to her somehow.”

Suddenly, Kara had had enough. She set down her fork with a little clatter, even though she hadn't finished even half of her pie, pushed back her chair, and said, “I didn't come here to be interrogated.”

She must have said it more sharply than she meant to, because Carter recoiled, just a bit, and even Cat's eyes widened. She stood and took a step towards the door, only for Carter to step in front of her, his arms spread wide to block her.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “I don't wanna ruin things for you and Mom, I just can't help that I got excited, thinking that two of my favorite people were the same person. It's... it's okay if you're not, though. Please don't leave.” There was a pain in his eyes that felt all too familiar to Kara, the pain of a child who's lost people.

Kara took a deep breath, steadying herself. “I'm sorry too. I've had a long day, but I shouldn't have snapped at you. I... guess I'll stick around, then.” Awkwardly, she sat back down, and took another bite of her pie.

The atmosphere after that was heavy, though, and as soon as he'd finished his dessert Carter stood up. “I just remembered I have some things to finish before bed,” he said, not meeting anyone's eyes. “I'll be in my room. Good night, Kara.”

“Good night, Carter.” Kara wanted to give him a hug, but wasn't sure if he would accept it in his current state.

Cat did give him one, though he pulled away after only a moment. She watched him leave, frowning, then turned to clear the table.

“Should I have told him, you think?”

Cat shrugged. “It's up to you. He'll be okay, he just doesn't handle conflict well. And he's had people walk away from him before, a few too many times. I worry that he's lonely, sometimes.”

“I think he is,” said Kara, and then wondered if she shouldn't have said anything when Cat frowned again. “But I also think he's lucky to have you.”

Cat kissed her on the lips then, a soft kiss that somehow promised more. “I think I'm lucky to have you,” she said.

Kara smiled at that, and picked up the rest of the dishes. By the time she'd put them all in the dishwasher or the sink, she'd made her decision.

“I'm going to tell him.”

Cat nodded. “That will probably make things easier for us. Do you want me to come with you?”

Kara shook her head. “No, just... wait for me.”

* * *

 

Kara walked down the hall. It was easy to find Carter's room—it was the one with a crude rocket ship painted on the door, and the light on inside. She knocked.

“Carter? It's me, Kara. Can I come in?”

Hearing a muffled, “Yes,” she opened the door.

He had a decent-sized room, messier than the rest of the house, with blue-gray walls half-covered with sky maps and photos of planets and nebulae. A solid-looking wood bookcase stood near the doorway. Atop it were a number of small objects—a couple of space shuttle models, a little Superman figurine (poorly made—Clark had never authorized any, so they mostly came from China), a snowglobe with a miniature Golden Gate Bridge in it, a trophy of some kind. Carter sat on his rumpled bed, a beat-up paperback book lying next to him. He didn't look up as she walked in.

“What do you want? You're not here to say goodbye, are you?”

“No, Carter, I... I'm not leaving. Not planning on it, anyway.” She cleared her throat and took off her glasses, setting them down on his desk, on top of a pile of worksheets. “Carter, look at me.”

Reluctantly, he looked up, pulling his feet up on the bed and wrapping his arms around them, as though to protect himself.

When she was sure he was watching, Kara said simply, “You were right,” and floated up a foot or so into the air. “Sorry I lied to you, but I think you know why I did it.”

He nodded slowly. “I really won't tell anyone, I swear. Especially not if you take me flying sometime.”

Kara laughed at that. “You know, I might consider it, except for the fact that Cat would probably kill me.”

“But you're bulletproof.” He was grinning now, going along with the joke. Kara felt the tension between them ease.

“She'd find a way. You know, I don't know anyone else like her.”

“That's a funny thing for a flying alien to say.”

Kara landed. “Maybe, but it's true. And you are definitely her son. Mind if I sit with you for a bit?”

“Okay.”

She sat down. “What're you reading?”

“Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's pretty good, have you read it?”

She shook her head. “It's pretty weird reading science fiction when you're from another planet. I usually stick with fantasy and historical stuff.”

“That makes sense, I guess.”

Silence stretched between them for a moment—a calm silence, not an awkward one.

“So, are we okay?”

“Of course we're okay! You're really Supergirl! Nothing could be cooler than that!”

She answered his smile with her own. “I was going to ask if you wanted a hug, earlier, but you don't look like you need one anymore.”

But he threw his arms around her anyway, and she let him, rocking a little as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he leaned his head against her side.

After a little while she pulled away. “Hey, I'd better go see Cat before she sends out a search party. I'm sure you can come, if you want.”

He shook his head. “I bet you two want to get all mushy. I'll pass.”

“Suit yourself.” She stood, picked up her glasses, and walked to the door.

“Kara?”

“Yeah?” She looked back to see him smiling at her.

“Thanks for telling me.”

“You're welcome.” With that, she shut the door behind her, and returned to the living room, where Cat was waiting, reading a magazine on the couch.

“How'd it go?” asked Cat, putting down the magazine.

“Pretty well. He forgives me, but he said he's staying in his room so he doesn't have to see any mushy stuff.”

“Hmm. Smart of him.” Cat stood and put her arms around Kara's waist. “It would be a shame to miss this opportunity, don't you think?”

Kara nodded and leaned in to kiss her, a little more urgently, a little more deeply than before. She pushed her glasses up and out of the way and ran a hand down Cat's side, a little hesitantly. Cat responded by sneaking a hand up under Kara's shirt.

Cat broke off the kiss and pulled her hand away suddenly, a perplexed expression coming over her face. “Kara, I have to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you _seriously_ wear your super suit under your clothes all the time?”

“Uh, not _all_ the time...” Kara found herself blushing.

“But... most of the time?” Cat raised her eyebrows.

Kara nodded, a bit sheepish. “I guess so. Sometimes there's an emergency at the last minute and I want to be ready as quickly as possible.”

Cat pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. “I'm starting to think Leslie was right about the chastity belt of steel.”

“Cat!”

“Of course, if you wanted, you could disprove that...” Cat's grin was positively devilish.

 _She looks l_ _ike_ _the_ _Ches_ _h_ _ire_ _C_ _at._ Kara sighed, thinking the better of voicing that comparison out loud. “I don't think I'm ready for that yet... but one of these days, I'll show you _exactly_ how wrong she is.” With that she kissed Cat, hurriedly, mashing her lips up against the other woman's, opening her mouth just a little, gasping at the touch of Cat's tongue.

Abruptly Cat broke off the kiss again. “Kara... I was kidding. You don't have to prove anything to me. I... I'm much older than you, more experienced. I don't want to push you to go too fast.”

Kara cupped one hand under Cat's chin and kissed her softly on the lips. “You're not pushing me too much, Cat. I want this. I want... you. Maybe I'm not ready for everything tonight... but I'll tell you when I am.”

“That's all I ask,” said Cat, gazing into Kara's eyes. “Well... no, I have one other request.”

“And that is?”

“Ditch the super suit next time.”

Kara burst out laughing at that. “Yeah, okay. Super suit on a date... I guess I didn't think that one through. I'll leave it off next time.” Her mind wandered, thinking of what Cat might do to her without the suit... where she might, in fact, have been thinking of putting her hands only a few minutes earlier, and she just couldn't help but kiss Cat again.

This time, Cat let her. Kara twined her fingers in Cat's hair and stroked her cheek with her other hand. This close, in this moment, she looked surprisingly soft and warm and even, perhaps, a little vulnerable, this woman who wore her fancy clothes and her media empire like armor, this woman who pushed people to be better and didn't seem to let people in.

But she'd let Kara in, and Kara marveled at it, kissing her first tenderly, then urgently. She let her senses sharpen, wanting to savor the moment, and listened to Cat's every heartbeat. Closing her eyes, she felt as much as heard Cat's heart rate pick up as she deepened the kiss and wrapped an arm around Cat's waist. Letting in Cat's tongue, she felt a wave of desire wash over her, and her hands seemed to start moving of their own volition.

In answer, Cat slipped a hand down over her butt and squeezed, making her gasp.

“I'm not sure,” said Cat, her breathing rough, “how far you want me to go.”

Part of Kara wanted to just go for it right then, carry Cat off to her bed, have her way with her... but part of her, the part that remembered that this was their second (or first, perhaps, technically) date, that she was still an alien and a superhero who had to worry about hurting someone in a moment of passion, that she was, in point of fact, completely sober (damn her alien metabolism)... that part of her held her back.

“I liked what you were just doing,” said Kara, “but maybe we should call it a night? Before I do something I'm not sure if I'm ready for.”

After a moment, Cat nodded.

Kara felt a surge of affection—in the past, she'd had issues with people not always respecting her boundaries this easily. “Is it okay... would you mind posing for me sometime? I've already done a couple of sketches of you, but I'd like to do something more... finished. More complete.” It felt like a risk, asking for this, but Cat looked so beautiful in that moment that she couldn't help it.

“You've... done sketches of me? Can I see them?”

“I... guess so? The best one is back at my studio, but...” She strode over to where she'd left her bag near the entrance and fished out the small sketchbook, Cat on her heels. She flipped through it until she found it, one of the more recent sketches, just Cat's face, smiling. Really smiling, the smile that had made Kara fall for her a little the first time they'd met.

“Kara, this is... lovely. I'd be honored to pose for you. Next weekend? I believe Saturday night is free.” She held out the pad and Kara took it.

“Sure! Have your people call my people.”

“You don't have people,” said Cat, her tone dry. “But yes, if anything comes up my assistant will remind me and _I_ will call you.”

With one last, quick, goodnight kiss, a costume change, and a wave at the house (Kara thought she saw Carter wave back at her) Kara left. She did a couple loop-the-loops in the air above the Grants' house for the sheer joy of it before flying back home, her mind abuzz with ideas for new art.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm looking for a beta right now. I'm willing to beta in return, too.


End file.
